Respirator with speaking diaphragm



G. G. KLINGER RESPIRATOR WITH SPEAKING DIAPHRAGM March 10, 1964 FiledAug. 28, 1961 INVENTOR.

GUY G. KLINGER BY %TTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,124,130Patented Mar. 10, 1964 3,124,130 RESPIRATOR WITH SPEAKING DIAPHRAGM GuyG. Klinger, Wernersville, Pa., assignor to The Electric Storage BatteryCompany, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 134,213 2Claims. (Cl. 128-141) This invention relates to a respirator with aspeaking diaphragm assembly and, more particularly, to the constructionof the speaking diaphragm assembly.

Industrial respirators are sometimes equipped with speaking diaphragmsto permit the wearer to be heard by others while wearing the respirator.An outstanding disadvantage of such diaphragm constructions is thenecessity of accurately fitting together the various parts to provideproper tension on the diaphragm and the proper interfitting of parts toprovide a gas-tight fit. Often times the workmen will be careless inassembling the parts so that the proper fit is not obtained forgas-tightness and efficiency of the speaking diaphragm.

A further disadvantage is that numerous parts are required makingproduction and maintenance of the unit rather expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel speakingdiaphragm assembly for a respirator, which assembly is devoid of theabove named disadvantages and which is compised of relatively simple andinexpensive parts and which form a unitary assembly which can bediscarded and easily and quickly replaced by another unit at very lowcost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a speaking diaphragmunit made almost entirely of molded plastic or metal parts which arepermanently fitted together in an accurate and gas-tight manner so as tobe completely gas-tight and fool-proof, which unit is provided withguards to prevent tampering with or damaging of a speaking diaphragm.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from astudy of the following description taken with the accompanying drawingtherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an industrial respirator having aface piece equipped with a speaking diaphragm unit embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 ofFIG. 1, showing the speaking diaphragm assembly;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view, showing the separate parts forming thespeaking diaphragm assembly shown in FIG. 2, and;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the unitary speaking diaphragm assembly shownin FIG. 2.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1 denotesa conventional face piece of rubber or other flexible material, numerals2 denote inhalation valve cups provided with air inlet openings 2a, andnumeral 3 denotes an exhalation valve, all forming conventional elementsof an industrial respirator.

Numeral 4 denotes a speaking diaphragm unit assembly mounted on thefront of the face piece 1, preferably forwardly of the face and themouth of the wearer. The unit 4 comprises a diaphragm holder shell 5 ofcylindrical form having a radially inwardly extending flange 6 and aninner surface 7 and made preferably of molded plastic material. As shownmore clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, a diaphragm seal or ring 8 of rubber orother suitable sealing material is rested against flange 6 to provide adust tight fit therewith. A speaking diaphragm 9 of disk-shape isprovided which may be of vinyl plastic cast film of the order of .004inch thickness and 1 inch diameter. The perimetrical portion 9a of thediaphragm 9 is bent substantially 90 relative the diaphragm, as shown,and

snugly encircles a diaphragm guard 10 whose edge surface 11 contacts theperipheral portion of diaphragm 9 and holds it tightly against seal 8 byvirtue of crimping, at 20, the outer edge portion of holder shell 5.Guard 10 is provided with an annular flange 12 having holes 17 spacedabout the inner opening 13 thereof. A pair of washers 18 are provided,each having holes 17 which are adapted to come into registry with holes17 of flange 12 when the washers are placed on opposite sides of theflange.

A cover or cap element 14 is provided with stop portions 16 bent athaving integral fingers or extensions 15 which are adapted to extendthrough registering holes 17 of washers 18 and flange 12, after whichthe end portions of extensions 15 are bent inwardly, as shown in FIG. 2,so as to tightly hold the washers against the surfaces of flange 12. twill be seen therefore that lateral openings are provided between cap 14and flange 12 to permit the sound to emerge radially outwardly. It willbe further seen that a sound chamber is provided, defined by diaphragm9, flange 12 and cap 14, which chamber greatly improves the clarity ofthe speech transmitted as the result of vibration of diaphragm 9 causedby voice signals of the wearer.

The speaking diaphragm 4 is mounted on a ring 23 of channel shapedcross-section by means of cement 24, or perhaps it could be an integralpart of shell 5. Ring 23 is snugly slipped into a circular hole formedin the front wall of respirator 1 and is provided with integral,radially extending flanges 22 interconnected by integral rings to forman inner guard to protect the diaphragm 9 and at the same time toprovide suitable openings to transmit voice signals.

When the unit 4 becomes faulty, it may be easily and quickly replacedsimply by pulling on holder 5 so as to dislodge ring 23 from therespirator face piece 1. All the parts of the speaking diaphragm unitshown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 may be made of molded plastic material withthe possible exception of the seal 8 and diaphragm 9. The parts may alsobe of metal.

Of course, other diaphragm materials may be substituted and otherdimensions thereof may be found suitable.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an eflicient speakingdiaphragm assembly of a unitary construction made of simple andinexpensive molded plastic parts which are tightly and accurately heldtogether in an airtight manner and which are so disposed and arranged soas to provide a voice chamber which will greatly improve the clarity oftransmitted voice signals; furthermore, I have provided a speakingdiaphragm unit with suitable front and rear guards to prevent tamperingwith and damaging of the diaphragm, also I have provided a relativelysmall voice transmitting unit which is quickly and easily replaceable bythe mere pulling thereof from the respirator face piece.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a respirator face piece having a circular openingforwardly thereof, a speaking diaphragm unitary assembly comprising aring of channel shaped cross-section into the channel of which the facepiece portion defining said opening is snugly fitted, a cylindricalshell integral with one leg of the channel of said ring and projectingforwardly of said respirator; a discshaped diaphragm mounted coaxiallywithin said shell, a sealing ring for providing a gas-tight seal betweensaid shell and the peripheral portion of said diaphragm, a guard elementhaving a radial flange provided with holes and having a central opening,a cap element having fingerlike extensions on spaced peripheral portionsthereof extending through said holes and bent at the end portionsthereof, said finger-like extensions having shoulders to provide a spaceextending radially outwardly between said cap element and said radialflange to permit voice signals to emerge therethrough, the outer edge ofsaid shell being rolled inwardly against the peripheral portion of saidguard element so as to tightly sandwich said diaphragm between saidguard element and said sealing ring.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 together with a pair of washerscontacting the outer surfaces of said radial flange and having holesthrough which said finger-like extensions project.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS3,035,574 Lytle et al May 22, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 540,757 Great BritainOct. 28, 1941

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A RESPIRATOR FACE PIECE HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENINGFORWARDLY THEREOF, A SPEAKING DIAPHRAGM UNITARY ASSEMBLY COMPRISING ARING OF CHANNEL SHAPED CROSS-SECTION INTO THE CHANNEL OF WHICH THE FACEPIECE PORTION DEFINING SAID OPENING IS SNUGLY FITTED, A CYLINDRICALSHELL INTEGRAL WITH ONE LEG OF THE CHANNEL OF SAID RING AND PROJECTINGFORWARDLY OF SAID RESPIRATOR; A DISCSHAPED DIAPHRAGM MOUNTED COAXIALLYWITHIN SAID SHELL, A SEALING RING FOR PROVIDING A GAS-TIGHT SEAL BETWEENSAID SHELL AND THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID DIAPHRAGM, A GUARD ELEMENTHAVING A RADIAL FLANGE PROVIDED WITH HOLES AND HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING,A CAP ELEMENT HAVING FINGERLIKE EXTENSIONS ON SPACED PERIPHERAL PORTIONSTHEREOF EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLES AND BENT AT THE END PORTIONSTHEREOF, SAID FINGER-LIKE EXTENSIONS HAVING SHOULDERS TO PROVIDE A SPACEEXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY BETWEEN SAID CAP ELEMENT AND SAID RADIALFLANGE TO PERMIT VOICE SIGNALS TO EMERGE THERETHROUGH, THE OUTER EDGE OFSAID SHELL BEING ROLLED INWARDLY AGAINST THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAIDGUARD ELEMENT SO AS TO TIGHTLY SANDWICH SAID DIAPHRAGM BETWEEN SAIDGUARD ELEMENT AND SAID SEALING RING.